A born again free-flowing Caribbean destroyer. A young colt taking to the big stage with imperious ease. Two finishers muscling their way to innumerable maximums. A tall young tearaway steaming in to prize out early scalps. And the most expensive one, finally running in to start his own journey. For Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fans, one couldn’t have predicted a merrier picture as the Knights won three on the bounce to kickstart their 2024 TATA IPL campaign, a feat they haven’t achieved since the league’s inception in 2008.

At 35, Sunil Narine wasn’t on top of anyone’s fantasy picks as the IPL started off this season; less than 100 runs over the last 3 seasons had left critics thinking he was a washed-out force, whose glory days with the bat for the Knights was over. All it took was the return of an old king in the dug-out, and a permit to the ageing Narine to go out and have a blast. And boy, has he delivered!

With 134 runs in three games at a strike rate well over 200, Narine seems to have found his mojo back as the power-hitter KKR desperately needed over the past few seasons. The franchise’s decision to bring back their title-winning leader Gautam Gambhir now seems to be just what they needed as Narine re-discovered himself at the top, firmly backed by Gambhir.

Kolkata Knight Riders's players celebrates during the match against Delhi Capitals PTI

Narine’s batting partner at the other end, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, was all of 3 years old when the IPL kicked off with KKR decimating RCB courtesy a Brendon McCullum blitzkrieg in 2008. Cut to last evening at Vizag and the 18-year-old Raghuvanshi matched Narine for shot-making and intent, powering his way to become the youngest batter to post a 50 in his first IPL innings, eclipsing Shreevats Goswami who was a day and all of 19 years when he struck 52 in his maiden IPL hit way back in 2008.

Andre Russell has forever been a force of nature as far as T20 batting is concerned. This time though, he seems to have cranked up a gear or two, showcasing his superhuman six-hitting abilities as if on demand. That a certain Gautam Gambhir has been a source of understanding and support has surely helped both Russell and Narine to pull back the years and unleash their larger-than life acts this season.

Over the next few weeks, even as the Knights’ brightest star Rinku Singh will continue to delight all with his unbelievable hitting range (even inculcating a Federer-like single-handed backhand), you will know more of his phenomenal story and how KKR have nurtured him from being a shy youngster to one who is now simply the best finisher in the game.

Shah Rukh Khan during the Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders PTI

While the powerplay batting woes have been erased by Narine, with Salt following up, it’s the bowling in the powerplay that seemed to be a weak suit for the Knights. But after the early promise of Harshit Rana, it was the turn of the strapping broad-shouldered Vaibhav Arora to power the opening act for KKR. An inswinger and a terrific bouncer prized out the mercurial Prithvi Shaw and Abhishek Porel as Arora snared 2 wickets to set Delhi Capitals on the backfoot.

Mitch Starc, having leaked 100 runs in the first two matches, was fast becoming a target for memes ridiculing his astronomical wages. Till he steamed in to take out two fellow Aussie stars Warner and Marsh, and it was all but over for the Capitals in the powerplay itself.

The wondrous Rishabh Pant did try to play the lone hand for a rescue act, but the boy-on-a-burning-deck scenario doesn’t click every time, especially when you run out of partners.

T20 isnt a game of sessions or overs; it’s made or unmade in just a delivery. Momentum shifts can swing with a sledge-hammer blow or a corker rattling into the stumps. With three wins on the trot, the first time they have started an IPL season in such fashion, Shahrukh Khan’s team have sounded out the warning bugle. A new page has been turned over as KKR look to start off Poila Baisakh, the new Bengali calendar year, with joy and hope for a summer of dominance.

The Knights are coming.

Sanjeeb Mukherjea is a sports television personality. An award-winning anchor-journalist, Mukherjea now doubles up as host and commentator for major sports broadcasting networks in India. He’s part of the IPL 2024 commentary team.